Sam Locke joined an illustrious club of top golfers after winning the Silver Medal at the 147th Open Championship.
But Locke expects to return to making coffees on Tuesday despite his achievements this week.
The 19-year-old, who works in the coffee shop at the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre and has taken advice from the 1999 winner about how to tame Carnoustie, finished with a round of 78 and nine over par total.
As the only amateur to make the cut, Locke was already assured of the Silver Medal and turned in level par before coming home in 42.
‘Obviously, it’s a great feeling to have won the Silver Medal and make the cut in my first Major as well,’ said Locke, who came through a 36-hole final qualifying event at The Renaissance Club.
‘The back nine today wasn’t what I wanted, but overall, I’m really pleased to be here. Just for a start, playing in the tournament, let alone making the cut and doing reasonably well.
‘It was good fun – I learned lots from it.
‘I’ll probably be in on Tuesday working,’ added Locke, who must now decide whether to join the professional ranks or remain an amateur to be eligible for next year’s Walker Cup at Royal Liverpool. ‘Obviously, with my family and Paul and the foundation, we’ll all sit down and have a chat because we need to make the right decision, whatever that may be.
‘To have him [Lawrie] there, he’s been and done everything. So he’ll obviously have some great advice and put me on the right path.
‘I was wanting to make the Walker Cup next year. That was a goal of mine. And this is obviously a slightly different thought in my mind, too. But as I said, we need to sit and have a proper think about this. Right now we just need to enjoy the situation we’re in. It will be a few days before we come to a decision.’
Locke joins a list of previous winners which includes Tiger Woods, Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy – the latter having won it the last time the Open was held at Carnoustie in 2007.
‘It’s really nice to know you’re in the company of some of the great names in golf,’ he added. ‘Hopefully, if I can just keep working hard and doing what I’m doing, there’s no reason why I can’t become a big name. It’s a great feeling.’
Credit: European Tour
